Bava Basra 16a

בבא בתרא ט״ז ע״א

Bava Batra 16a

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Topic

איוב's suffering: the שטן's role, whether איוב sinned, and ה׳'s answer from the storm

Overview

The amud goes through the story of איוב's suffering. First it quotes the פסוקים about his last disasters and how he still blessed ה׳. Next comes the scene in heaven: the שטן praises אברהם's faith, ה׳ praises איוב, and רבי יוחנן remarks how bold it is to say that ה׳ was 'persuaded.' The גמרא then talks about the שטן himself. A ברייתא lists his three jobs, ריש לקיש says the שטן, the יצר הרע and the מלאך המות are one, and רבי לוי says the שטן and פנינה both acted לשם שמים. Next comes a debate about whether איוב sinned in his heart. רבא and רבי אליעזר say he did, while אביי and רבי יהושע say he was speaking about the שטן. The גמרא also brings איוב's claim that people cannot be blamed for their deeds, and his friends' answer that the תורה is the cure for the יצר הרע. It praises איוב's kindness to orphans and widows, but it also criticizes several things he said. Last, it explains how ה׳ answered איוב 'from the storm': He takes exact care of every hair, raindrop and thunderclap, and that explanation continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (39)

1. ConclusionClosing words: a taste of the World to Come
2. StatementThe remaining disasters, and how Job reacts
3. StatementThe Satan reports that he has been roaming the earth
4. StatementThe Satan praises Abraham's faith
5. StatementGod answers: Have you noticed My servant Job?
6. StatementOnly a verse could say ה׳ was persuaded
7. StatementThe שטן's three-part method
8. StatementThe second test: the שטן may strike איוב's body
9. StatementThe שטן suffered more than איוב
10. StatementThe שטן, the יצר הרע and the מלאך המות are one
11. ProofProof that he is the שטן
12. ProofProof that he is the יצר הרע
13. ProofProof that he is the מלאך המות
14. StatementThe שטן and פנינה both meant well
15. ProofWhy the שטן's intention was good
16. ProofWhy פנינה's intention was good
17. StatementThe שטן thanks the one who taught this
18. Statementאיוב did not sin with his lips, but did in his heart
19. QuestionWhat did איוב say that shows this?
20. Response'The earth is given into the hand of the wicked'
21. Rejectionאביי: איוב meant the שטן
22. ProofThe same argument among the תנאים
23. Statementאיוב tried to free the whole world from judgment
24. Proofאיוב's argument: You created everything both ways
25. Responseאיוב's friends answer that the Torah is the cure for the evil inclination
26. Statementרבא explains איוב's kindness to orphans and widows
27. Statementרב criticizes איוב for weighing himself against Heaven
28. Statementרב criticizes איוב for wanting a judge over ה׳
29. Statementרבא shows that אברהם was more careful with his eyes than איוב
30. Statementרבא says איוב denied תחיית המתים
31. Statementרבה says איוב spoke against Heaven with a storm and was answered with a storm
32. StatementHow איוב spoke against Heaven with a storm
33. Proofה׳ answered איוב from the storm
34. Statementה׳'s first answer: every hair has its own follicle
35. Statementה׳'s second answer: every raindrop has its own channel
36. QuestionHow do we know תעלה means a channel?
37. Responseרבה בר שילא proves תעלה means a channel
38. Statementה׳'s third answer: every thunderclap has its own path
39. StatementThe wild goat that is cruel to her young